Cairo was turned orange on Wednesday as a massive sandstorm blanketed the city in a cloud of dust.

Winds reached over 30 mph in the sprawling Egyptian capital, bending palm trees along the Nile River. Pedestrians covered their faces from the wind gusts as the dust cloud blocked out the sky and reduced visibility.

Sandstorms are common in the region in late winter and early spring and Egypt's Meteorological Commission urged caution but did not advise anyone to change their daily routines.

Images of the city’s strange orange hue generated plenty of buzz on social media.

Similar weather phenomena in other parts of the world have also grabbed attention. Last year, a huge dust storm turned a town in the Australian outback orange. Charleville in southwestern Queensland was covered in the eerie orange dust, according to the BBC.